Peter had made up her mind even before she had closed the window. She ran over to Penny's bed.

"Wake up, Penny, Wake up. Don't make a noise, but wake up quickly. Please be quiet, Penny... Yes, it's me. It's Peter. Wake up... I'm sorry, Penny, but you must. This is something for the Lone Piners..."

At the last words Penny sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm awake, I s'pose. It seemed to me that I've been woken up like this once before to-night. What's happened? Peter, why are you dressing?"

"Get up," Peter whispered. "Put on the warmest things you've got. I've just seen that furniture van again and I bet it's full of sheep, and we must go and warn the Dentons... This is a job for the Club, Penny, and we're all pledged to stick together, you know. Get up, I'm going to wake the boys."

Penny did not stop to argue, but had reached for her clothes before Peter had closed the door behind her.

Peter went boldly into the boys' room and switched on the light. She shook David first.

"Peter! What's wrong?"

She told him in a few words.

"Right," he said. "Wake Jenny. I'll see to Tom and Jon. Don't wake the twins. We'll be downstairs in the hall in five minutes. Good old Peter!"

And she was so pleased with this that she was thankful he could not hear her teeth chattering as she went back to the door. Penny was dressed by the time she had wakened Jenny and got back to her own room.

"Down in the hall," she whispered. "We'll all be there except the twins. Not a sound."

Within five minutes they were all down. Jenny looked as if she was walking in her sleep and Tom was obviously furious, but he grinned happily when David herded them all into the dining-room and began his whispered story.

"Peter has just seen that furniture van again. She says it was travelling fast, but she's certain it's the one she met the other day full of sheep. Peter says - and it's her idea, not mine, and she ought to be doing the talking..."

"Go on, David!" Peter implored.

"Peter says we ought to split up and try to warn the Dentons and any other farmers we can reach. I think it's a grand idea. We've all got bikes except Peter, and she's going on Sally to Bury Fields. Let's get out of here as quickly and quietly as we can, and we'll make further plans as we go up the hill. We can't cycle up that. Come on... Bike shed next."

They crept out like guilty criminals, down the front steps and round the side of the house to the shed where Dickie had first found the bicycle with the jangling bell.

"There's going to be some trouble over all this," Tom muttered as he wheeled out his bicycle.

"Who from?" Jon whispered.